The Eastern Red-backed Salamander has a dark gray body with a red stripe down its back. Sometimes, the salamander lacks the red on its back and is just gray in color.
Common Name: Fitzinger’s Robber Frog Scientific Name:Craugastor fitzingeri Family:Craugastoridae Locations: Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama FemaleSize: 2 inches (52.5 mm) Male Size: 0.9 – 1.4 inches (23.5 – 35 mm)
The Fitzinger’s Robber Frog lives in a variety of habitats from rain forests to dry gallery forests. They are primarily found amongst the leaf litter. The species is named after Leopold Fitzinger, an Austrian zoologist.
Females lays around 85 eggs and will sit on the nest until they hatch. They are a direct developing species, skipping a free larval phase.
Common Name: Agile Frog Scientific Name:Rana dalmatina Family:Ranidae – True Frog family Locations: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom Introduced Locations: Belgium Size: 3.14 inches (8 cm)
The Agile Frog lives throughout most of Europe besides the northern regions.
The breeding season starts shortly after the frogs awake from their hibernation (between February and March) and lasts until April. Males gather in large groups in the shallows of water bodies to call. Once the female arrives, the males try to grasp the female behind in the amplexus position. The female frog lays between 450 – 1800 eggs. The tadpoles usually take 2 to 4 months to complete their metamorphosis but have been known stay as tadpoles over winter and complete it in spring.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Agile Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. The frog has a wide range and are numerous throughout it. Though in some areas of its range, it has been harder to find due to draining of wetlands and cutting down woodlands they call home. On the isle of Jersey, the frogs are considered critically endangered and they have even re-introduced the species there.
Common Name: Nattarjack Toad Scientific Name:Epidalea calamita Location: North Wales coast
The Nattarjack has a bold yellow line down the center of its back, differing from the Common Toad. They are usually smaller than the Common Toad as well.
Common Name: African Clawed Frog Scientific Name:Xenopus laevis Location: Southern Wales
The African Clawed Frog is a fully aquatic frog that was once used as pregnancy tests in labs. Sadly, some individuals have escaped those labs or were released. These frogs are blamed for the spread of diseases.
The True Toads are your typical toad with warty skin and short legs. They usually have a parotid gland behind their eyes that contain a poison. It is not advised to let your dog eat these guys.
Common Name: Nattarjack Toad Scientific Name:Epidalea calamita Location: Sand dunes along the Merseyside coast, the Cumbrian coast, and on the Scottish Solway
The Nattarjack has a bold yellow line down the center of its back, differing from the Common Toad. They are usually smaller than the Common Toad as well.
Common Name: Marsh Frog Scientific Name:Pelophylax ridibundus Location: Southeastern part
The Marsh Frog is the largest frog native to Europe but sadly, they have been introduced to England. Their size allows them to predate on native species.
Common Name: Spotted Snout Burrower Scientific Name:Hemisus guttatus Family:Hemisotidae – Shovel-Nosed Frog Family Locations: South Africa Size: 3 inches (80 mm)
The Spotted Snout Burrower lives in the loose, sandy soils in the grasslands and savannas of the South Africa. The frog starts to breed at the start of the rainy season. The male will grab the female from behind in the amplexus position while the female digs a burrow. The female lays her eggs in the burrow and the male fertilizes them.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Spotted Snout Burrower as Near Threatened with Extinction. Although the frog is wide spread, decreases in quality habitat is causing population declines. Also, the species habitat is severely fragmented.
Common English Names: Boie’s Frog or Rio de Janeiro’s Smooth Horned Frog Scientific Name:Proceratophrys boiei Family:Odontophrynidae Locations: Brazil Size: 1.5 – 2.9 inches (40 – 74 mm)
The Boie’s Frog lives in the Atlantic rain forest and other primary and secondary forests of eastern Brazil. They are often found in leaf litter near streams.
When threatened, the Boie’s Frog flattens its body and stiffens its arms out to their side. Researchers believe that this helps the frog better mimic a dead leaf on the ground.
Males call from September to January, end of the rainy season. Eggs are laid in swamps or streams.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Boie’s Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a wide range and a presumed large population. Primary threat to the frog is deforestation to make room for more farms, cattle grazing areas, and human settlements,
Common Name: Natal Ghost Frog Scientific Name:Hadromophryne natalensis Family:Heleophrynidae – Ghost Frog family Locations: Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland Male Size: 1.77 inches (45 mm) Female Size: 2.4 inches (63 mm)
The Natal Ghost Frog breeds in late summer (March to May). The males call out from around the streams. Once the female arrives, the male grasps the female from behind in the water in the amplexus position. Then, the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. The female lays between 50 – 200 eggs and attaches them to the underside of rocks in the stream. The tadpoles take 2 years to complete their metamorphosis.
